The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Peter 1:10-16, “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating, as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven– things into which angels long to look.
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’”

At the time of this writing, I have been in the LORD’s ministry for more than 65 years. I say that to give credence to my “searches and inquiries” regarding the time of Christ’s Return. The pastors I had and heard as a child and through my adolescent years, did not emphasize the Second Coming of the LORD. I was in college when a sweet, Missourian girl (later my wife) introduced me to the premillennial theology surrounding His Coming. From that point onward, I made careful study of that theme from the Word of God.

As with the prophets’ study, my inquiries into the Word demonstrated that I was not serving myself (although I certainly profited), but I was serving others –others who, perhaps like you, had never heard of our LORD’s Second Coming. How important is that subject? Peter says “…those who preached the gospel…” were by the Holy Spirit revealing things which angels themselves were longing to understand.

There are multiple things in the Word of God that remain a mystery even to those of us who have studied it for many years. What we do know is that we learn only when we are obedient children, given neither to laziness nor to worldliness. The Holy Spirit has called us to forsake the ways of the world and be open to the purity of God’s Word.

We who are saved are encouraged by the Holy Spirit to give ourselves to holy living. For it is holy living that pleases our Heavenly Father; and it is He alone who deserves all praise. If you are not being encouraged to give yourself to holy living, you do not possess the Holy Spirit; and if your do not possess Him, you do not belong to God.

Yet, you can know Him through turning from sin and yielding your life to Him in simple prayer. Let me urge you to yield to Him today. He is Coming! And you’ll want to be ready for that Grand Event!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom